Robinson Secondary School
Encyclopedia
James W. Robinson, Jr. Secondary School, known as Robinson Secondary School, opened in 1971, is a public school in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Robinson is located of Fairfax
and George Mason University
. The school is administered by the Fairfax County Public Schools. Robinson offers the International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement programs and has over 4000 students in grades 7-12. It is currently the biggest school in Virginia. The school colors
are blue
and gold
and the school mascot
is a ram
.
recipient James W. Robinson, Jr.
, the first resident of Virginia
to be awarded the medal during the Vietnam War
. Sergeant Robinson, age 25, was fatally wounded under heroic circumstances in South Vietnam in April 1966, while serving in the infantry
in the U.S. Army
.
Robinson Secondary School opened its doors in September 1971, taking its students from Fairfax
, W.T. Woodson
, Oakton
, and West Springfield high schools. Robinson was the second of Fairfax County
's "Secondary Schools," or "superschools," which housed grades 7-12. Robinson's chief rival to the east, Lake Braddock
, which opened two years later in 1973, was the third of these schools from this era. The first was Hayfield
, near Mount Vernon
, which opened in 1968, and the most recent is South County
in Lorton
, which opened in 2005, taking its students from former Hayfield
territory.
, includes a middle school (grades 7-8) and a high school (grades 9-12). Each grade is operated as a sub school, with its own administration. Dan Meier is the Principal of Robinson Secondary with Richard Mondloch as his Assistant Principal. Meier came to Robinson in 2003, from Rocky Run Middle School
where he was also head principal before which he was at Chantilly High School
where he was a teacher and head football coach, winning a AAA Division 6 title in 1996 with the Chargers as well as two more state championships with West Potomac
. In 2009, Meier was caught in a high-profile mortgage fraud case involving inflated land prices.
Because of its size, Robinson Secondary is organized into one sub school for each grade. When the school opened, each sub school included two grades, with half the alphabet, and were numbered 1-6 (e.g. Sub School 1 was grades 7-8, last names A-K; Sub School 2 was grades 7-8, last names L-Z, etc.)
Dan Meier B.1954-
Across the main hallway at the east end (across from grades 7-8), is another extensive two floored wing. This houses industrial arts, art, home economics, business, and foreign languages. Also along the main hallway are the two smaller hallways, Academic Hallway and High School Hallway that run perpendicular to the south of the main hallway, with classrooms and two large cafeterias on either side, which is directly south of grades 9-10. Music rooms are south of the cafeterias. Further west down the main hallway are the main administrative offices, across from grades 11-12.
At the west end of the main hallway, to the south, is the large gymnasium, the Harry M. Smith Field House, which has more than enough bleacher capacity to seat the entire student body. Three of the four sets of bleachers have full basketball courts underneath, the fourth is large enough, but is used for storage. There is a wrestling room, locker rooms, two weight rooms (one for highschool, one for middle school) and many storage rooms. On the south side of the field house are the athletic and P.E.
locker rooms and athletics offices.
At the far west end of the main hallway is the octagonal Russell Theatre (formerly the "Little Theater", named for the school's second principal, Robert C. Russell), which hosts the numerous theatrical productions of Robinson's drama department as well as performances by the schools orchestras, choirs and bands. This northwest corner of the main hallway is the main entrance to the school. The outdoor athletic facilities are to the west.
is a ram
and the sports teams currently play in the AAA Concorde District
and the AAA Northern Region
of the Virginia High School League
.
of the NFL. The Rams regularly attract several thousand fans a game.
Ed Henry, Robinson's second head coach, was the first to take the team to the postseason, in 1977
(state semifinals) and 1979
. Henry was a head coach in Fairfax County
for over 25 years (159-82-14, .651) and was inducted into the VHSL
Hall of Fame in 1997
. Before coming to Robinson in 1975
, he led a strong program at Marshall
(44-17-1, .718) for six seasons (and was portrayed by Tom Nowicki in the 2000 movie Remember the Titans
). Before Marshall, Ed Henry was the head coach at Annandale
for 9 years (60-22-6, .716), winning a state championship in 1965
. He departed Robinson after 8 seasons (43-35-5, .559) following the 1982
season to become an assistant coach at the University of Virginia
.
Nick Hilgert and Mark Bendorf were former assistant coaches at Robinson, promoted from within. Hilgert, a former captain
in the Marines
(with two tours in Vietnam
in the 1960s), was an assistant under Ed Henry for a decade at both Marshall and Robinson, initially coaching the defensive backs. He was at Robinson for a total of 21 seasons (1976–96), the final 14 years as head coach (101-52, .660). Nick Hilgert was the first head coach to take Robinson to the state finals in football (1988); he retired from teaching and coaching in the spring of 1997.
During Hilgert's tenure, Robinson produced its most famous player, running back Chris Warren (class of '85
). Warren played for the NFL
Seattle Seahawks
and Dallas Cowboys
in the 1990s. He rushed for over 7600 yards (6,949.4 m) in the NFL
, including 4 consecutive seasons over 1000 yards (914.4 m) while with the Seahawks
(1992–95). Chris Warren led the AFC
in rushing in 1994
with 1545 yards (1,412.7 m) in 333 attempts.
Mark Bendorf, was a former head coach at Chantilly
before joining the Robinson staff as defensive coordinator
under Hilgert. Bendorf was the first coach to lead the school to a state title in football, which he did in his first season of 1997, with a perfect 14-0 record. In total, he has led the team to three state title games, winning twice (1997 & 2001). Coach Bendorf also helped produce running back Mike Imoh who went on to start for Virginia Tech(2003–2006). Robinson's recent regular season records have been impressive, specifically in the 7 seasons of 1999-2005, when Robinson lost a total of 4 regular season games. Bendorf is a 1974 graduate of Marshall
High School, where he played under head coach Ed Henry.
Coach Trey Taylor took over the Rams in 2011.
at the 1992 Summer Olympics
in Barcelona. The men's Indoor Track & Field team won the District Title in 2009 while the Outdoor Track & Field team won district and regional team titles in 2006.
The swim and dive team has had multiple All-Met and All-Met honorable mention swimmers and divers as well as numerous automatic All-Americans.
(VHSL), the sanctioning body for Virginia
public high school athletics, recognized lacrosse
as an interscholastic sport and established an official state championship tournament. From the 1970s through the 2004-2005 school year, lacrosse
was played as a club sport by Virginia
public high schools. From 1991 through 2005, the winner of the unofficial Northern Region
tournament (Fairfax County, Arlington County, and the City of Alexandria public schools) was also recognized as the unofficial Virginia
state champion even though other public high schools, primarily in the Charlottesville and Richmond
areas, also played club lacrosse
. Robinson won the unofficial Virginia
state championship in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2001, and 2002. Robinson also won the first two official VHSL sanctioned state championships in 2006 and 2007. Robinson won Northern Region
titles in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2007, and 2010; and district titles in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2010. Since obtaining varsity status in 1991 the Robinson boy's team has a team record of 214 wins, 49 losses and 1 tie.
The history of Lacrosse at Robinson dates to 1978 when Paul St. Germaine started the Robinson Lacrosse Club. The club team played in a league which included teams from Lake Braddock HS, St. Stevens HS, Bishop Ireton HS, the Braddock Road Boys Club and numerous teams from the Maryland suburbs. From 1982 to at least 1985 the club sport had both varsity and J.V. teams that competed in the Washington Area Lacrosse League against public and private schools, and some club teams, from Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
The current head coach of the Robinson boy's varsity team is Matt Curran; a 1991 Robinson graduate, and 1990-91 Robinson co-Athlete of the Year (football, lacrosse); who played Division I lacrosse at Rutgers University
in New Jersey
. Matt was an assistant coach with the boy's varsity team from 2006 through the 2010 season.
During the 2009-2010 season Robinson Boys Varsity Soccer went on a 12 game shut-out streak.
in Richmond
to hometown J.R. Tucker
. The '78 Rams finished at 24-1 and had eight players that competed at the Division I
level; five went on to play in the minor leagues
. Robinson was the state runner-up again in 2003.
Alumnus Javier López
('95) is a relief pitcher with the San Francisco Giants
, and Shawn Camp
('94) is a reliever with the Toronto Blue Jays
.
, soccer, track and field
, and lacrosse
teams. The total bleacher capacity is about 9,000 with about 500 grass seats. The stadium is named for Samuel J. Coffey, Robinson's first principal. Mr. Coffey was a diminutive, friendly gentleman who stayed beyond his normal retirement to serve as the first principal of Robinson. Mr. Coffey was one of the key designers of Robinson (subschools, middle + high school, etc.), which is why he was selected as its first principal. He was quite popular with the students.
The field house also hosts the homecoming
pep rally
and carnival prior to the homecoming football
game, when there are consistently overflowing crowds, once reported to hit about 8,500 spectators, double the school's student body. The site is often used by smaller area schools as the location for their high school graduation ceremonies.
Robinson is located of Fairfax
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
and George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
. The school is administered by the Fairfax County Public Schools. Robinson offers the International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement programs and has over 4000 students in grades 7-12. It is currently the biggest school in Virginia. The school colors
School colors
School colors are the colors chosen by a school to represent it on uniforms and other items of identification. Most schools have two colors, which are usually chosen to avoid conflicts with other schools with which the school competes in sports and other activities...
are blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
and gold
Gold (color)
Gold, also called golden, is one of a variety of orange-yellow color blends used to give the impression of the color of the element gold....
and the school mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
is a ram
Bighorn Sheep
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
.
History
Robinson was named after Medal of HonorMedal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient James W. Robinson, Jr.
James W. Robinson, Jr.
James William "Jim" Robinson, Jr. was an American soldier and a posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor. Robinson earned the award while serving with the U.S. Army in Vietnam...
, the first resident of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to be awarded the medal during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Sergeant Robinson, age 25, was fatally wounded under heroic circumstances in South Vietnam in April 1966, while serving in the infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
Robinson Secondary School opened its doors in September 1971, taking its students from Fairfax
Fairfax High School (Fairfax, Virginia)
Fairfax High School is a public high school in Fairfax, Virginia. The school is owned by the City of Fairfax, but is operated by Fairfax County Public Schools, as part of a contractual agreement....
, W.T. Woodson
Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School
Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School, commonly known as W.T. Woodson High School, is a high school located in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the east end of the city of Fairfax, opposite the shopping center on Main Street....
, Oakton
Oakton High School
Oakton High School is a public high school in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in proximity to the town of Vienna, in the United States. It is part of Fairfax County Public Schools....
, and West Springfield high schools. Robinson was the second of Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
's "Secondary Schools," or "superschools," which housed grades 7-12. Robinson's chief rival to the east, Lake Braddock
Lake Braddock Secondary School
Lake Braddock Secondary School is a combined junior-high and high school in Burke, Virginia, United States, administered by Fairfax County Public Schools . It is one of four secondary schools in Fairfax County; the other three are Hayfield, Robinson, and South County.Opened in 1973, Lake Braddock...
, which opened two years later in 1973, was the third of these schools from this era. The first was Hayfield
Hayfield Secondary School
Hayfield Secondary School is the oldest secondary school in the Fairfax County Public Schools system of Virginia. It opened its doors in 1968 and graduated its first seniors in 1971.-History:...
, near Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, Virginia
Mount Vernon is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Nearby CDPs are Fort Belvoir , Groveton, Virginia and Hybla Valley, Virginia , and Fort Hunt, Virginia...
, which opened in 1968, and the most recent is South County
South County Secondary School
South County Secondary School is a secondary school in Lorton, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, part of the Fairfax County Public Schools system, opened in September 2005...
in Lorton
Lorton, Virginia
Lorton is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population is 27,709 as of the 2008 census estimate.-History:...
, which opened in 2005, taking its students from former Hayfield
Hayfield Secondary School
Hayfield Secondary School is the oldest secondary school in the Fairfax County Public Schools system of Virginia. It opened its doors in 1968 and graduated its first seniors in 1971.-History:...
territory.
Demographics
In 2005-2006, Robinson's student body was 68% White; 6% Black; 9% Hispanic; and 17% Asian. In 2008-2009, Robinson's student body was 58% white, 9% black, 11% Hispanic, and 22% AsianAdministration
Robinson Secondary School, the largest school in the Commonwealth of VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, includes a middle school (grades 7-8) and a high school (grades 9-12). Each grade is operated as a sub school, with its own administration. Dan Meier is the Principal of Robinson Secondary with Richard Mondloch as his Assistant Principal. Meier came to Robinson in 2003, from Rocky Run Middle School
Rocky Run Middle School
Rocky Run Middle School is a public middle school in Fairfax County, Virginia. As of September 2007, the school accommodates 814 students. Being a GT magnet school, it is fed by many elementary schools, including Brookfield, Bull Run, Greenbriar East, Greenbriar West, Poplar Tree, Willow...
where he was also head principal before which he was at Chantilly High School
Chantilly High School
Chantilly High School is a high school located in the Chantilly CDP in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools system.-Overview:...
where he was a teacher and head football coach, winning a AAA Division 6 title in 1996 with the Chargers as well as two more state championships with West Potomac
West Potomac High School
West Potomac High School is a public high school in Fairfax County, Virginia. It is located on 6500 Quander Road and is part of Fairfax County Public Schools.-History:...
. In 2009, Meier was caught in a high-profile mortgage fraud case involving inflated land prices.
Because of its size, Robinson Secondary is organized into one sub school for each grade. When the school opened, each sub school included two grades, with half the alphabet, and were numbered 1-6 (e.g. Sub School 1 was grades 7-8, last names A-K; Sub School 2 was grades 7-8, last names L-Z, etc.)
Dan Meier B.1954-
Layout
Although it has 9 acres (36,421.7 m²) of floorspace, the school's layout is relatively simple, as are most Fairfax County Schools. It consists of a main hallway that runs east-west and is over 1100 feet long, with three primary wings that extend to the north. Each wing has two floors, with each floor housing one of the six grades (each a "sub school" with about 700 students). Subschools are designated for each grade. (A wing- Subschool 7 upstairs, Subschool 8 downstairs. B Wing- Subschool 9 upstairs, Subschool 10 downstairs. C Wing- Subschool 11 upstairs, Subschool 12 downstairs.) Each sub school contains a locker area and administrative offices in the front, with the academic areas to the north. Exception: Subschool 10 is replaced by the library, the office is in a back hallway and there are less than 10 subschool classrooms.Across the main hallway at the east end (across from grades 7-8), is another extensive two floored wing. This houses industrial arts, art, home economics, business, and foreign languages. Also along the main hallway are the two smaller hallways, Academic Hallway and High School Hallway that run perpendicular to the south of the main hallway, with classrooms and two large cafeterias on either side, which is directly south of grades 9-10. Music rooms are south of the cafeterias. Further west down the main hallway are the main administrative offices, across from grades 11-12.
At the west end of the main hallway, to the south, is the large gymnasium, the Harry M. Smith Field House, which has more than enough bleacher capacity to seat the entire student body. Three of the four sets of bleachers have full basketball courts underneath, the fourth is large enough, but is used for storage. There is a wrestling room, locker rooms, two weight rooms (one for highschool, one for middle school) and many storage rooms. On the south side of the field house are the athletic and P.E.
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
locker rooms and athletics offices.
At the far west end of the main hallway is the octagonal Russell Theatre (formerly the "Little Theater", named for the school's second principal, Robert C. Russell), which hosts the numerous theatrical productions of Robinson's drama department as well as performances by the schools orchestras, choirs and bands. This northwest corner of the main hallway is the main entrance to the school. The outdoor athletic facilities are to the west.
Athletics
The mascotMascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
is a ram
Bighorn Sheep
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
and the sports teams currently play in the AAA Concorde District
AAA Concorde District
The AAA Concorde District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes public schools exclusively from Fairfax County. AAA is the largest enrollment class and also typically the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports....
and the AAA Northern Region
AAA Northern Region
The AAA Northern Region is one of the four AAA regions in the Virginia High School League. It is made up of four districts: the AAA Concorde District, the AAA Liberty District, the AAA National District, and the AAA Patriot District...
of the Virginia High School League
Virginia High School League
The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike similar organizations in many other states, private or religious schools are prohibited from joining. Non-public schools belong to other organizations,...
.
Football
The Robinson Rams Varsity Football Team is one of the sports teams at the school. The team plays at Coffey Stadium, and its helmet is currently similar to that of the St. Louis RamsSt. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
of the NFL. The Rams regularly attract several thousand fans a game.
Head coaches
The Robinson varsity football team has had five head coaches in its history: Kurt Lindstrom (1972–74), Ed Henry (1975–82), Nick Hilgert (1983–96), Mark Bendorf (1997–June 2011) and Trey Taylor (2011-present).Ed Henry, Robinson's second head coach, was the first to take the team to the postseason, in 1977
1977 in sports
1977 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Ingemar Stenmark, Sweden** Women's overall season champion: Lise-Marie Morerod, Switzerland-American football:...
(state semifinals) and 1979
1979 in sports
1979 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Peter Lüscher, Switzerland** Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Moser-Pröll, Austria-American football:...
. Henry was a head coach in Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
for over 25 years (159-82-14, .651) and was inducted into the VHSL
Virginia High School League
The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike similar organizations in many other states, private or religious schools are prohibited from joining. Non-public schools belong to other organizations,...
Hall of Fame in 1997
1997 in sports
1997 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Luc Alphand, France** Women's overall season champion: Pernilla Wiberg, Sweden-American football:...
. Before coming to Robinson in 1975
1975 in sports
1975 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Gustav Thöni, Italy** Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria-American football:...
, he led a strong program at Marshall
George C. Marshall High School
George C. Marshall High School is a public school in Idylwood, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, and part of Fairfax County Public Schools . Newsweek ranked Marshall 159th on its 2009 list of the top U.S. high schools.-Name:...
(44-17-1, .718) for six seasons (and was portrayed by Tom Nowicki in the 2000 movie Remember the Titans
Remember the Titans
Remember the Titans is a 2000 American sports film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. Inspired by real events, the plot was conceived from a screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. The film starts as a new coach of the Titans, a football team previously coached by the...
). Before Marshall, Ed Henry was the head coach at Annandale
Annandale High School
Annandale High School is an International Baccalaureate high school in Annandale, Virginia, United States. It is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools system....
for 9 years (60-22-6, .716), winning a state championship in 1965
1965 in sports
1965 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* AFL Championship Buffalo Bills won 23-0 over the San Diego Chargers* NFL Championship – Green Bay Packers won 23-12 over the Cleveland Browns on January 2, 1966-England:...
. He departed Robinson after 8 seasons (43-35-5, .559) following the 1982
1982 in sports
1982 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup:** Men's overall season champion: Phil Mahre, United States** Women's overall season champion: Erika Hess, Switzerland-American football:...
season to become an assistant coach at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
.
Nick Hilgert and Mark Bendorf were former assistant coaches at Robinson, promoted from within. Hilgert, a former captain
Captain (USA)
In the uniformed services of the United States, captain is a federal commissioned officer rank.-U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marine Corps:...
in the Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
(with two tours in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
in the 1960s), was an assistant under Ed Henry for a decade at both Marshall and Robinson, initially coaching the defensive backs. He was at Robinson for a total of 21 seasons (1976–96), the final 14 years as head coach (101-52, .660). Nick Hilgert was the first head coach to take Robinson to the state finals in football (1988); he retired from teaching and coaching in the spring of 1997.
During Hilgert's tenure, Robinson produced its most famous player, running back Chris Warren (class of '85
1985 in sports
1985 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup:** Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg** Women's overall season champion: Michela Figini, Switzerland-American football:...
). Warren played for the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
and Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in the 1990s. He rushed for over 7600 yards (6,949.4 m) in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, including 4 consecutive seasons over 1000 yards (914.4 m) while with the Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
(1992–95). Chris Warren led the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
in rushing in 1994
1994 in sports
1994 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* January 29 – death of Ulrike Maier , Austrian skier, who broke her neck when she crashed during a World Cup downhill race at Garmisch-Partenkirchen...
with 1545 yards (1,412.7 m) in 333 attempts.
Mark Bendorf, was a former head coach at Chantilly
Chantilly High School
Chantilly High School is a high school located in the Chantilly CDP in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools system.-Overview:...
before joining the Robinson staff as defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
under Hilgert. Bendorf was the first coach to lead the school to a state title in football, which he did in his first season of 1997, with a perfect 14-0 record. In total, he has led the team to three state title games, winning twice (1997 & 2001). Coach Bendorf also helped produce running back Mike Imoh who went on to start for Virginia Tech(2003–2006). Robinson's recent regular season records have been impressive, specifically in the 7 seasons of 1999-2005, when Robinson lost a total of 4 regular season games. Bendorf is a 1974 graduate of Marshall
George C. Marshall High School
George C. Marshall High School is a public school in Idylwood, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, and part of Fairfax County Public Schools . Newsweek ranked Marshall 159th on its 2009 list of the top U.S. high schools.-Name:...
High School, where he played under head coach Ed Henry.
Coach Trey Taylor took over the Rams in 2011.
Track and field
1982 alumnus Robert Muzzio represented the United States in the decathlonAthletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics - Men's decathlon
These are the official results of the Men's Decathlon competition at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. There were a total number of 36 participating athletes, with eight competitors who didn't finish the competition.-Medalists:-Schedule:...
at the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in Barcelona. The men's Indoor Track & Field team won the District Title in 2009 while the Outdoor Track & Field team won district and regional team titles in 2006.
Cross country
In addition to the state champion teams listed above, the teams also won regional championships in 1981, 1991, 1992, 2000, and 2002, and district titles in 1972, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1990, 1991, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2008 and 2010.Swim and dive
The men's team has won seven consecutive state championships from 2003–2009 and has been one of the dominant swim teams in the state of Virginia. The women's team has also done exceptionally well, winning multiple district titles as well as achieving high rankings in the northern region and winning the 2009 state championship. The head coach during the first 3 years of State Champion success, and several years before this was Tracey Blaine, who is currently a Hayfield HS Administrator. After Ms. Blaine left for Hayfield Rich Gordon was appointed head coach. Gordon resigned from the position after the 2008 season. The Robinson Swim and Dive Coach for the 2009 season was Tom Koucheravy, who led the boys and girls to state titles. Tom resigned after the 2009 season. The new coach is Clayton Joiner, assisted by Kevin Nolan. In 2010, the girls won the state title and the boys, despite having lost numerous All-Mets, managed fourth place at states.The swim and dive team has had multiple All-Met and All-Met honorable mention swimmers and divers as well as numerous automatic All-Americans.
Tennis
The Robinson Rams boys' tennis team has been the dominant team in Virginia's Northern Region for an extended time. The Rams have won district titles in 14 of the last 15 years, and have won more than 15 total. The tennis team has amassed more than 8 regional titles, and in 2006 was the state champion (the first from the Northern Region since 1994 and the first in school history). It repeated this feat in 2007 and 2008, winning the boys triple crown three years in a row by taking the state singles, doubles, and team titles. The tennis team has had a winning percentage of over .800 in its last 10 seasons. In February, 2007, the coach of both the Boys' and Girls' Team, Paul Fisher, was awarded the title National High School Tennis Coach of the Year by the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR).Lacrosse
In 2006 the Virginia High School LeagueVirginia High School League
The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike similar organizations in many other states, private or religious schools are prohibited from joining. Non-public schools belong to other organizations,...
(VHSL), the sanctioning body for Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
public high school athletics, recognized lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
as an interscholastic sport and established an official state championship tournament. From the 1970s through the 2004-2005 school year, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
was played as a club sport by Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
public high schools. From 1991 through 2005, the winner of the unofficial Northern Region
Northern Region
Northern Region may refer to:*Northern Region, Ghana*Northern Region, Eastern Cape, South Africa*Northern Region, Malawi*Northern Region, Manitoba, Canada, a region situated on the Canadian Shield including Manitoba's Hudson Bay coastline...
tournament (Fairfax County, Arlington County, and the City of Alexandria public schools) was also recognized as the unofficial Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
state champion even though other public high schools, primarily in the Charlottesville and Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
areas, also played club lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
. Robinson won the unofficial Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
state championship in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2001, and 2002. Robinson also won the first two official VHSL sanctioned state championships in 2006 and 2007. Robinson won Northern Region
Northern Region
Northern Region may refer to:*Northern Region, Ghana*Northern Region, Eastern Cape, South Africa*Northern Region, Malawi*Northern Region, Manitoba, Canada, a region situated on the Canadian Shield including Manitoba's Hudson Bay coastline...
titles in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2007, and 2010; and district titles in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2010. Since obtaining varsity status in 1991 the Robinson boy's team has a team record of 214 wins, 49 losses and 1 tie.
The history of Lacrosse at Robinson dates to 1978 when Paul St. Germaine started the Robinson Lacrosse Club. The club team played in a league which included teams from Lake Braddock HS, St. Stevens HS, Bishop Ireton HS, the Braddock Road Boys Club and numerous teams from the Maryland suburbs. From 1982 to at least 1985 the club sport had both varsity and J.V. teams that competed in the Washington Area Lacrosse League against public and private schools, and some club teams, from Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
The current head coach of the Robinson boy's varsity team is Matt Curran; a 1991 Robinson graduate, and 1990-91 Robinson co-Athlete of the Year (football, lacrosse); who played Division I lacrosse at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Matt was an assistant coach with the boy's varsity team from 2006 through the 2010 season.
Soccer
Robinson Varsity Boys Soccer won the 2009 AAA Concorde District and the AAA Northern Region title. Beat Centreville High School 1-0 in District Final and Westfield High School 3-0 in Regional Final. They also won the AAA Region title in 2000.During the 2009-2010 season Robinson Boys Varsity Soccer went on a 12 game shut-out streak.
Baseball
Under head coach Bob Menefee, the Rams won the state baseball championship in 1980 and were runners-up in 1978. The 1978 team was undefeated until a 2-1 loss in the state final at Parker FieldParker Field (Richmond)
Parker Field was a multi-use outdoor stadium in Richmond, Virginia, with a seating capacity of 9,500. The field was built in 1934, as part of the fair grounds, and was named after Dr. William H. Parker, who helped with the construction of the field...
in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
to hometown J.R. Tucker
John Randolph Tucker High School
John Randolph Tucker High School is a high school in Henrico County, Virginia, United States. It is named after lawyer and Henrico County Judge John Randolph Tucker. Its students and faculty often refer to themselves as "Tucker Tigers"...
. The '78 Rams finished at 24-1 and had eight players that competed at the Division I
Division I
Division I is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States....
level; five went on to play in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. Robinson was the state runner-up again in 2003.
Alumnus Javier López
Javier López
Javier Alfonso López is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants. López previously played for the Colorado Rockies , Arizona Diamondbacks , Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates . He is a left-handed specialist known for his sidearm delivery...
('95) is a relief pitcher with the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, and Shawn Camp
Shawn Camp
Shawn Anthony Camp is an American professional baseball pitcher. Camp stands at 6'0" tall and weighs 200 pounds. He throws and bats right-handed and was born in Fairfax, Virginia.-Early career:...
('94) is a reliever with the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
.
Coffey Stadium
Coffey Stadium is the main field for their footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, soccer, track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
teams. The total bleacher capacity is about 9,000 with about 500 grass seats. The stadium is named for Samuel J. Coffey, Robinson's first principal. Mr. Coffey was a diminutive, friendly gentleman who stayed beyond his normal retirement to serve as the first principal of Robinson. Mr. Coffey was one of the key designers of Robinson (subschools, middle + high school, etc.), which is why he was selected as its first principal. He was quite popular with the students.
Robert Menefee Stadium
Robert Menefee Stadium is the Robinson baseball stadium. It is named after a former long-time Rams baseball coach, and features one of the few all-natural-grass infields in Fairfax County. The current capacity is about 1,000.Smith Field House
The Henry M. Smith Field House is the home court to the basketball teams and the volleyball team. It is the primary student gym with four separate basketball courts. It is also sometimes used for indoor soccer games and roller hockey games too, and as part of normal physical education classes, and includes the wrestling room.The field house also hosts the homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
pep rally
Pep rally
Pep rallies are events that occur primarily in the United States and Canada. A pep rally is a gathering of people, typically students of middle school, high school and college age, before a sports event. The purpose of such a gathering is to encourage school spirit and to support members of the...
and carnival prior to the homecoming football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game, when there are consistently overflowing crowds, once reported to hit about 8,500 spectators, double the school's student body. The site is often used by smaller area schools as the location for their high school graduation ceremonies.